How do you spend your money?

NCL4701

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L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572 box scrape, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
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Central Piedmont, NC
I would likely be tossed from Palessi unless they needed something repaired and thought I was the repair guy, but I don’t mind spending a bit on quality footwear. Yes, these are my current routine shoes when at home.
1667440306223.jpeg
It was a somewhat heavy pollen day when this was taken so the yellowish highlights are a seasonal spring enhancement. They’re normally a sort of customized mottled brown with mud, grease (black moly and red “regular”), and dried blood creating a homey vibe that’s versatile enough to wear with a wide variety of outfits in all sorts of venues. The roomy boxed steel toes, 8” height with speed laces to provide ankle protection without sacrificing efficient ingress/egress, flexible steel plate in sole for nail protection, water resistant construction, quality lugged sole for sure traction, gel sole for all day support and comfort: all that adds up to footwear I’ll drop $150 on.

To the point of the video, there are many things where the name, the marketing, the “experience” is a substantial premium over the functional and aesthetic value of the product. The sale at Palessi is about how the customer feels at the time of sale and after. They feel special; better than the average person they see when they’re out in public; privileged; blessed; etc. The Payless shoes are identical but they don’t give the buyer the same emotional experience coming from Payless instead of Palessi.

Easy for me to criticize with my no name tennis shoes and bare bones work truck, but I’m not planning to buy my next pair of work boots from Payless.

Most of my hand held power tools are Milwaukee. I drive a Kubota. I’m not a professional at anything requiring power tools or tractors. Could I get by with Harbor Freight power tools and a Mahindra? Probably. But I also have one dirt cheap B&D jigsaw that’s been hanging on the pegboard for 30 years. Wife asked a while back why I never use it. Told her it’s a POS designed so poorly it can’t be fixed. The whole guts are sloppy in the housing so it won’t cut accurately enough to be useful and the housing is too soft to do anything about it. It’s a reminder to me that cheap tools are a waste of money. BUT sometimes that cheaper tool may be identical to a name brand; I often don’t know when there’s a real difference so I often end up doing what I do with power tools, I buy Milwaukee because I’ve yet to buy anything Milwaukee that was a disappointing POS.

Kind of a complicated thing, really. But for the Payless v Paylessi thing I think it really is the emotional experience created by Paylessi that’s missing from Payless and that actually has value for some people, weird as that seems.
 
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Motion

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Kubota MX5100HST/FEL
Aug 17, 2020
518
285
63
Mandeville Louisiana
Sad to say I ask myself the same question. I could write a thesis on the defination of wanting and needing. I could probably justify the cost of a cardboard baler, almost everday packages arrive (USPS, Fedex,UPS, motor freight, etc. It's bad when I make a purchase from an entirely new vendor and click to fill out the first box, all my personal information pops up. It's a sickness, that's why I can't retire!
 

Biker1mike

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B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
Jan 11, 2022
1,164
1,252
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Gallatin, NY USA
Sad to say I ask myself the same question. I could write a thesis on the defination of wanting and needing. I could probably justify the cost of a cardboard baler, almost everday packages arrive (USPS, Fedex,UPS, motor freight, etc. It's bad when I make a purchase from an entirely new vendor and click to fill out the first box, all my personal information pops up. It's a sickness, that's why I can't retire!
Yes , it can be a sickness. Check your health plan and seek mental health therapy.
You may not want to retire but it could be forced on you and you do not want to be living in one of the cardboard boxes.
 

mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
1,377
1,648
113
Kalamazoo, MI
I buy Milwaukee because I’ve yet to buy anything Milwaukee that was a disappointing POS.
If you want to buy your first disappointing Milwaukee POS, go pick up one of their 7¼" M18 FUEL brushless circular saws. It is guaranteed to disappoint!
 
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mikester

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M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,125
1,609
113
Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
I spend all my spare money on taxes, bank fees, service charges, insurance, lawyers and accountants.

I hate seeing bankers, insurers, lawyers, civil servants and accountants having to drive cheap fuel efficient cars with bald tires, and being stuck using older flip phones without unlimited 5G data plans.
 

PoTreeBoy

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L35 Ford 3930
Mar 24, 2020
2,344
1,180
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WestTn/NoMs
$10 Ryobi Caulk Gun
Since this thread has taken a power tool path, I'll relate my TLDR experience at HD. I've been helping my nephew finish out his new house. Along the way, my sister commented how a lighter drill (than my BILs Makita) would be nice. I saw a black Friday ad for the Ryobi compact drill with 2 batteries and charger for $89. I owed my sister a small battery, so I decided to get the kit.

I've learned that the HD website is easier to use than finding an employee, so I went to Aisle x Bay y and . . . nowhere. So I asked the checkout lady to page somebody. A young woman shows up, puts the SKU in her phone and says, " they're over here". And they were. Q1: why would HD apparently use a different database for their customers and employees?

So while I have her out of hiding, I ask about the new cordless Ryobi die grinder. About a week ago, I saw an introductory offer for $89 as I recall. After the 'whats a die grinder?, 'whats it used for?', it turns out they're still not available but the price now is $149. So I'm passing on that.

As I'm perusing the display, I notice the caulk gun is marked down from $59 to $39. Well, we're finishing a house and have a bunch of caulking to do, so what better time? I turn to ask the young lady to get me one, but she's gone, vanished! So I turn to the trusty website and see, sure enough, none in stock. Check two more stores within my range and zero. Aha, they've discontinued it and this is it. So I take it up to the service desk (it was the only tool not strapped or screwed down) and ask if they'll sell the display model.

shortened... Yes, at $39. After mulling, maybe stewing, a minute I say ok. But I better put a battery in it and make sure it works. By then, there's a guy at the window on the phone. He's lost his credit card and is trying to get the number and security code from somebody who is less than cooperative. While waiting, I start fiddling and find a broken weld. Something I could easily fix, but not at full, marked-down price. He's still yapping and I'm about to blow a fuse, so I lay it on the closest box, pay for my drill and leave.

The next day, I decide to stop in on the way out of town. I'm curious what they're going to do with a broken, shop-worn, discontinued caulk gun. I go to the display, it's there, I take it and the price card to the service desk, prepared to pay half, $20. She starts punching keys and voila! $10 plus tax.

I must have made an impression the day before. While walking out with my trophy, three employees, including the garden center guy who just happened to be helping out in power tools that day, recognized me with 'you got it!', and 'you came back!'.

The End
 
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fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,311
4,001
113
Eastham, Ma
I would likely be tossed from Palessi unless they needed something repaired and thought I was the repair guy, but I don’t mind spending a bit on quality footwear. Yes, these are my current routine shoes when at home.
View attachment 89867 It was a somewhat heavy pollen day when this was taken so the yellowish highlights are a seasonal spring enhancement. They’re normally a sort of customized mottled brown with mud, grease (black moly and red “regular”), and dried blood creating a homey vibe that’s versatile enough to wear with a wide variety of outfits in all sorts of venues. The roomy boxed steel toes, 8” height with speed laces to provide ankle protection without sacrificing efficient ingress/egress, flexible steel plate in sole for nail protection, water resistant construction, quality lugged sole for sure traction, gel sole for all day support and comfort: all that adds up to footwear I’ll drop $150 on.

To the point of the video, there are many things where the name, the marketing, the “experience” is a substantial premium over the functional and aesthetic value of the product. The sale at Palessi is about how the customer feels at the time of sale and after. They feel special; better than the average person they see when they’re out in public; privileged; blessed; etc. The Payless shoes are identical but they don’t give the buyer the same emotional experience coming from Payless instead of Palessi.

Easy for me to criticize with my no name tennis shoes and bare bones work truck, but I’m not planning to buy my next pair of work boots from Payless.

Most of my hand held power tools are Milwaukee. I drive a Kubota. I’m not a professional at anything requiring power tools or tractors. Could I get by with Harbor Freight power tools and a Mahindra? Probably. But I also have one dirt cheap B&D jigsaw that’s been hanging on the pegboard for 30 years. Wife asked a while back why I never use it. Told her it’s a POS designed so poorly it can’t be fixed. The whole guts are sloppy in the housing so it won’t cut accurately enough to be useful and the housing is too soft to do anything about it. It’s a reminder to me that cheap tools are a waste of money. BUT sometimes that cheaper tool may be identical to a name brand; I often don’t know when there’s a real difference so I often end up doing what I do with power tools, I buy Milwaukee because I’ve yet to buy anything Milwaukee that was a disappointing POS.

Kind of a complicated thing, really. But for the Payless v Paylessi thing I think it really is the emotional experience created by Paylessi that’s missing from Payless and that actually has value for some people, weird as that seems.
Milwaukee, Makita, and DeWalt are all good in my opinion.
I did have a Milwaukee 8" saw that had a horribly inconvenient depth of cut setting.
Gave that POS away!
 
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jyoutz

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MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
Jan 14, 2019
2,458
1,565
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Edgewood, New Mexico
Food, women, and whiskey. Most of the rest of my money I just waste.
 
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motionclone

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L345DT with Lp mower, forks and grapple thumb, Bobcat 337 Midi Ex
May 4, 2018
1,398
992
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Maine
I spend my money on things that are practical and things that help me make more money.

Ive had many young people work for me over the years and i recently started asking how much money per month they spend on weed and alcohol. Over 4 guys I got $800 to &1500 per month. I was astonished.
 
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mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
1,377
1,648
113
Kalamazoo, MI
I bought a really nice Kubota tractor and some attachments to make my life more enjoyable.
 
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The Evil Twin

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L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,330
2,205
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Virginia
A lot of people equate price with quality or status. Or both. The biggest difference is usually that you are paying for marketing. Nike and Pay Less are probably made my the same child slave laborers in China but only Nike has to budget for athlete sponsorships.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,116
2,341
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
What I realized recently is it is more like, for me, how I don't spend my money.

Even though I can afford it, say a pack of beef jerky for $15, I tend not to buy because my mind has roots in the past, and I think the price is excessive.

I've noticed I do this for a lot of things. NOT everything, but a lot.

Weakness or strength, I don't know. Might just be my personal contribution to inflation reduction, since I am helping to reduce demand for products and therefore prices will not be increased as fast as they might...
 
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Jchonline

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Kubota L6060, KX040-4, M7060, RTV X1100C, M62 (sold)
Oct 28, 2018
1,386
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Red Feather Lakes, CO
I spend all my spare money on taxes, bank fees, service charges, insurance, lawyers and accountants.

I hate seeing bankers, insurers, lawyers, civil servants and accountants having to drive cheap fuel efficient cars with bald tires, and being stuck using older flip phones without unlimited 5G data plans.

Wow THAT is some charitable giving :ROFLMAO: